1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a crimper, more particularly to a crimper for crimping a multi-wire telephone cable, which crimper includes a head member having a plurality of receiving spaces for accommodating connectors of different dimension into which the telephone cable is to be crimped.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are different types of telephone cables used in telephone signaling, such as six-wire cables, eight-wire cables and twelve-wire cables. Such cables require individual crimpers with differently-sized connector receiving spaces since conventional crimpers include only one connector receiving space to receive a connector which has a specific dimension.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a connector for a multi-wire telephone cable. The connector includes a casing (A) having a blind bore (a1) to receive one end of a stripped multi-wire cable (b), a plurality of electric terminals (a2) extending into the blind bore (a1) and being crimped so as to engage respectively one of the wires of the cable (b), and a press member (a3) which is to be crimped by a crimper so as to engage the sheath of the cable (b).
Referring to FIGS. 3, 4(A) and 4(B), a conventional crimper (C) includes first and second elongated handle members (C11, C12) pivoted to one another and having rear handle portions. A first crimping component is provided anterior to the pivot point of the elongated handle members and includes a first press member (C24) formed on the second elongated handle member (C12) and a first connector receiving space (f) formed on the first elongated handle member (C11). A second crimping component is provided posterior to the pivot point and includes a second press member (C25) and a second connector receiving space (g) which has a dimension that is different from the first connector receiving space (f). The second press member (C25) and the second connector receiving space (g) are respectively formed on the first and second elongated handle members (C11, C12) so that the press members (C24, C25) can be guided into the receiving spaces (f, g) to effect crimping operation.
The drawbacks of the above-identified crimper are as follow:
(1) In the above-identified crimper (C), the press members (C24, C25) are mounted in the oblong holes (C16) which permit slight adjustments in the position of the press members (C24, C25) relative to the receiving spaces (f, g). During the crimping operation, the force which is applied on the rear handle portions is transmitted to the press members (C24, C25) via a locking bolt (C26) that holds the press members (C24, C25) in the oblong holes (C16) of the handle members (C11, C12). In order to fit the press members (C24, C25) precisely into the receiving spaces (f, g), the press members (C24, C25) move in the oblong hole (C16) to adjust the positions thereof relative to the receiving space (f, g) before carrying out the crimping operation. Movement of the press members (C24, C25) in the oblong hole (C16) decreases the force which reaches the receiving spaces thereof.
(2) Two molds for molding the first and second handle members (C11, C12) with differently-sized notches (C14, C15) are required. Another two molds for molding two clamping blocks (C21, C22) which are placed over the notches (C14, C15) so as to define differently-sized receiving spaces (f,g) for accommodating connectors therein, are also required. The conventional crimper (C) further requires molds for producing press members (C24, C25) thereby increasing the manufacturing cost thereof.
(3) The assembly time of the above mentioned crimper (C) is relatively long.